Persevere in Prayer

Prayer is essential. Prayer is talking with God, and listening to His still small voice. To persevere means “to persist, not to give up or abandon any enterprise undertaken.” [W] Therefore, to persevere in prayer means to persist in prayer and never give up.

To persevere in prayer means to persist in prayer and never give up.

To persevere in prayer says we are determined to believe all things are possible with God and whether we see the answer manifest in our lifetime or not, we will sow prayers by faith. We know our prayers join in with the prayers of Jesus and with Believers everywhere for all times. Biblical prayers never fail. They may be delayed, but they do not fail.

To persevere in prayer means we are determined to believe all things are possible with God.

Persevere in Thanks

We are encouraged to ask, seek and knock that God might answer us. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” ~Matthew 7:7-8 NASB

And in praying, let us give thanks to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who has overcome.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” ~Colossians 4:2 NASB

And let us continually pray with great joy, with thanks and in faith.

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Chris Jesus.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB

Persevere in Faith

Jesus spoke with His disciples about perseverance in prayer. Jesus said not to lose heart, but to cry out to God for justice and He would answer our cries.

“Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither reverenced and feared God nor respected or considered man.”

“And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and say, ‘Protect and defend and give me justice against my adversary.’” Luke 18:1-3 AMPC

“And for a time, he would not; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’”

“Then the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says! And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf?”

“I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?” ~Luke 18:4-8 AMP

Prayers to Persevere in the Faith

Paul encourages us to pray in the Spirit of God and he encourages us to pray for the Good News to go forth boldly.

“Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding on behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).”

“And [pray] also for me, that [freedom of] utterance may be given me, that I may open my mouth to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news (the Gospel).” ~Ephesians 6:18-19 AMPC

We can persevere in our prayer for others. Paul prayed for others love to increase, their faith to be blameless and for them to bear righteous fruit through Jesus Christ.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.” ~Philippians 1:3-5 NASB

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” ~Philippians 1: 9-11 NASB

Paul gives thanks and prayers for the faithful ones to have wisdom, revelation, hope, purpose, fellowship and to understand His authority and power.

“For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints, don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,”

“… that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”

“…and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of His might which He worked in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come.”

“He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” ~Ephesians 1:15-23 WEB

Paul perseveres in prayer for us to be full of God’s wisdom and understanding, so that we might walk in His ways and bear good fruit.

“For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects,”

“…bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,”

“…strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,”

“…who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.” ~Colossians 1:9-14 WEB

James encourages us that even when we suffer or encounter trails, we are to pray and ask God for wisdom. When we ask God for wisdom, He gives it to us that the “manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:10 NASB)

Our faith shines through us when we persevere in faith through hardship.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

“But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

“For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” ~James 1:2-8 NASB

Quotes on Perseverance in Prayer

“Prayer is the most powerful weapon against trials. The most effective medicine against sickness. The most valuable gift to someone you love.” ~Ged Backland Hutch (2017)

“Jesus taught that perseverance is the essential element in prayer.” ~E.M. Bounds

“Persevering in prayer is like rowing a boat upstream; if you do not persevere, you will be carried downstream by the current.” ~Anonymous

“I think Christians fail so often to get answers to their prayers because they do not wait long enough on God.” ~E.M. Bounds

“The value of persistent prayer is not that He will hear us but that we will finally hear Him.” ~William McGill

“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” ~Galatians 6:9 AMPC

I cried…

I prayed…

He listened…

I praised!

~Psalm 66:17-20

Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter. Verse one states, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The eleventh chapter of Hebrews speaks of those who received what was promised and those who died still looking for the hoped for promise. Whether we see the answer manifest today or not, let us walk in faith “for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (vs. 6)

In First Kings 18, Elijah spoke of the sound of a heavy rain coming, then “he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees.” Seven times, Elijah sent his servant to look toward the sea for any signs of rain, but there was none. The seventh time, he answered Elijah, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the seas.” (vs. 43-44)

Daniel 10 speaks of Daniel’s faithfulness to fast and pray, God’s immediate response, and of the twenty-one-day delay Daniel experienced before he saw God’s answer – due to a war in the heavens. “From the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard. (vs.12)

These encouragements from the Word of God remind us of what Isaiah told us about Jesus, “He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear.” (11:3)

Let us walk in faith, standing on God’s Word, whether we see the answer to our prayers manifested immediately or there is a delay, let us persevere in prayer in faith to our God who is Faithful and True.

Recommendations:

Praying for the Nations Praying for the Nations – Strength with Dignity

Paul’s Prayers in the Bible Paul’s Prayers in the Bible – Strength with Dignity

Teaching Someone How to Pray: ACTS Teaching Someone How to Pray: ACTS – Strength with Dignity

References:

Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Amplified Bible, Classis Edition (AMPC) Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.

New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB 1995), copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

World English Bible (WEB) by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from http://www.webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary

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